Congress ends 55-year partnership with DMK, backs Vijay’s TVK to form Tamil Nadu govt

The Indian National Congress on Wednesday ended its long-standing alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu and extended support to Vijay and his Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam for the formation of the new state government. The Congress stated that the alliance with TVK would continue not only for the immediate government formation process but also for future local body, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections.

AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar said the alliance between the Congress and TVK was based on “mutual respect, appropriate share, and shared responsibility.” He stated that the partnership aimed to uphold the social justice ideals of Periyar and the constitutional principles associated with Dr B R Ambedkar, while also referring to the political legacy of former Congress leader K Kamaraj. Chodankar said the Congress viewed the electoral verdict in Tamil Nadu as a mandate for a secular, progressive and welfare-oriented government under Vijay’s leadership.

The Congress clarified that its support to TVK would remain conditional on the exclusion of “communal forces” from the alliance. Chodankar stated that the party would not support any arrangement involving political forces that, according to the Congress, do not believe in the Constitution of India. The statement came amid reports of discussions between TVK and the AIADMK regarding possible political coordination in the state.

The decision marked the end of a political partnership between the Congress and the DMK that began in 1969. Congress leaders indicated that differences had emerged within the alliance during the Assembly election campaign, with reports of reduced coordination between senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and M. K. Stalin. Sources within the Congress also stated that sections of the party leadership and newly elected MLAs believed the party should align itself with the electoral sentiment reflected in the results.

Congress leaders stated that the development at the state level would not automatically affect cooperation within the INDIA bloc at the national level. Party representatives pointed out that several parties within the opposition alliance contest elections against one another in different states while continuing to remain part of the broader coalition formed to challenge the BJP nationally. Vijay formally requested Congress support for government formation, following which the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislative Party approved the decision to back the TVK-led government.